UPDATE 2-Obama says assault weapons ban deserves a vote In Congress

February 04, 2013|Reuters

* Obama says background checks on guns are "common sense"

* Assault weapons ban seen as difficult

(Recasts with Obama's comments)

By Mark Felsenthal

MINNEAPOLIS, Feb 4 (Reuters) - President Barack Obamapressed Congress on Monday to at least hold a vote on banningassault weapons, the most contentious part of his plan to curbgun violence in the United States.

Obama's comments suggested a realization in the White House that it will be difficult to get such a ban passed by lawmakers,despite consistent public support for the measure.

Opposition is high in Congress, including among someDemocrats, and by calling simply for a vote, Obama seemed toacknowledge that even getting that far - let alone having anassault weapons ban approved - would be a struggle.

"We should restore the ban on military style assault weaponsand a 10-round limit for magazines. And that deserves a vote inCongress, because weapons of war have no place on our streets,"Obama said as uniformed law enforcement officers stood behindhim at the Minneapolis Police Department's Special OperationCenter.

It was Obama's first trip outside Washington to promote guncontrol since he announced a package that includes calls foruniversal background checks and 10-round limits on ammunitionmagazines.

"No law or set of laws can keep our children completelysafe. But if there's even one thing we can do, if there's justone life we can save, we've got an obligation to try," Obamasaid.

With a busy agenda that includes immigration reform andclimate change, Obama hopes to move quickly on gun controlbefore memories fade of December's shooting in Newtown,Connecticut, that killed 20 children and six adults.

A vote in Congress on the assault weapons ban might be heldseparately from other gun control measures.

Senator Dianne Feinstein has said Senate Democratic leaderHarry Reid promised that even if the ban is left out of abroader package to curb gun violence, she will have theopportunity to offer it as an amendment on the Senate floor.

Gun control efforts face an uphill battle against a powerfulpro-gun lobby and a strong U.S. tradition of hunting and gunownership. The right to bear arms is guaranteed to Americans inthe U.S. Constitution.

Obama noted that support was widespread for universalbackground checks before guns are sold and indicated that hewould press especially hard for that part of his proposals.

"The vast majority of Americans - including a majority ofgun owners - support requiring criminal background checks foranyone trying to buy a gun," he said.

"So right now, Democrats and Republicans in the Senate areworking on a bill that would ban anyone from selling a gun tosomebody legally prohibited from owning one. That's commonsense. There's no reason we can't get that done."

Obama urged legislators to name a permanent director for theBureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, a post thathas been vacant for years.

MINNESOTA EXAMPLE

Minnesota is emblematic of the challenges Obama will face inadvancing gun control in Congress.

While the state's two Democratic U.S. senators have saidthey are sympathetic to measures to curb gun violence, theNational Rifle Association, the largest U.S. gun-rights group,is influential in the state.

It has backed all four Republicans and two of the Democratswho represent Minnesota in the House of Representatives,according to data compiled by the Center for ResponsivePolitics.

But Minneapolis has a tradition of gun control. The city took steps in the mid-2000s to reduce incidents involving gunsand juveniles after an outbreak of violent crimes.

On the way to Monday's event, Obama's motorcade passed a manholding a sign that read, "Ban private ownership of militaryweapons."

The Newtown massacre mobilized support for measures tocontain access to certain guns and ammunition.

The Obama administration has included access to mentalhealth and an examination of the effects of violent video gamesas part of its efforts to stem gun violence.

Gun-control efforts have foundered in the past despitestrong public support, in part because many gun owners believeadvocates of gun control oppose owning and using firearms ingeneral.